Space to Explore: Live from the Tessmann
is proud to present a very special interview
with legendary comet hunter, David Levy.

Impacts on Jupiter

David Levy recording an
interview with Bob Menn in 2006.

Press Play button below to begin or click here

In March of 1993, Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker and David Levy, were conducting a sky survey at Mt. Palomar, when they discovered a comet near the planet Jupiter. From the start, the comet, now known as SL 9 (Shoemaker-Levy 9), proved be very unusual. Carolyn told the team that they had discovered a "squashed comet." In fact, the comet had broken apart into several fragments and became known as "the string of pearls."

On July 16, 1994, fragments of the disrupted comet began to strike Jupiter, producing the largest impact event ever observed in our solar system. Over the next six days, 21 fragments struck the giant planet. Dark scars formed across the face of Jupiter, caused by the debris from the impacts. The impact zones were visible in even the smallest telescopes and the whole world watched the unfolding event in awe.

Several impact zones on                  New impact zone on Jupiter, July 2009.
Jupiter, July 1994.                      

On July 19, 2009, Australian amateur astronomer, Anthony Wesley, discovered a new scar on the southern hemisphere of Jupiter, remarkably similar to the ones formed by the impacts of SL9. No one witnessed the impact event this time. It is believed that the impact zone was created by a comet or an asteroid. Check out Tessmann Focal Points, August, 2009, for more information.

David Levy discusses of the remarkable events of 1994 and 2009 in this special webcast.

Space to Explore: Live from the Tessmann comes to you from the Tessmann Planetarium on the campus of Santa Ana College and is hosted by Scott Roberts. Scott is a board member of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Share the Sky Foundation and Astronomers without Borders. Scott is the President of Explore Scientific, LLC. The show is produced and edited by Tessmann staff member Bob Menn.

copyright 2009 Bob Menn for the Tessmann Planetarium at Santa Ana College, Scott Roberts for Explore Scientific and David Levy